Metallica--Ride the Lightning (1984)
Rating--9.3
Creeping Death--RealAudio Fade to Black--RealAudio
A super thrash album from the once-masters. Every metal fan that ended up being disappointed by
Metallica's turn toward a more commercial sound in the nineties should be required to listen to this album once a
month to remind them of how great this band was at one time. The distortion is in-your-face, the drums are fast and
furious, and James Hetfield's voice is at its peak, as he proves you can play bruising music and sing with melody and
emotion as well (i.e., without growling). This album, along with the follow-up, 'Master Of Puppets,' is a must for all
metal collections. It's almost hard to believe that a band could improve this much on a debut that was excellent in its
own right.
"Fight Fire With Fire" begins the album with a furious thrashy pace, followed by the title track, which is a true metal
classic - it features a crunching main riff, perfectly-timed tempo shifts, the standout drumming that made Lars Ulrich an
underground legend, and also some blistering solo work. "For Whom The Bell Tolls" is the best-known song from the album,
and is surely deserving, as it sets the standard for the menacing, slow-burn thrash song, proving that a speed-based band
can be ultra-heavy without playing a hundred miles per hour.
"Fade to Black" is the band's all-time top mood-shifter, as
it cuts from light moments to heavy razor-riffs with tuned precision, while the rolling rhythm of "Escape" gets the head
bobbing and the blood flowing. "Creeping Death" speeds along brutally, incorporating the occasional off-time bars that
would later distinguish the title track from "Master of Puppets," and the haunting, nine-minute instrumental "The Call of
Ktulu" brings this masterpiece to a close. Surely, the boys can't top this with their next release...or can they?
HOT CHOPS: Check out the rhythm guitar work when the solo of "Creeping Death" kicks in. That's brutal stuff! Also, when that
middle riff to "Fade to Black" starts to double-time it. Bang that head!
TRACK LIST: Fight Fire With Fire/Ride the Lightning/For Whom the Bell Tolls/Fade to Black/Trapped Under
Ice/Escape/Creeping Death/The Call of Ktulu
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